Sports
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass touts a car-free Olympics, but plans still call for some cars
Rush hour all but disappeared. There was less traffic on the freeways and not as much stop-and-go on surface streets.
Longtime residents of Southern California remember that, in terms of driving, the 1984 Summer Olympics felt something like heaven. Businesses switched to staggered schedules. Lots of people left town for a few weeks.
2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games
Now, with the world’s biggest sports competition set to return in four years, Mayor Karen Bass wants to go a step further.
“A no-car Games,” she said.
Doubling down on something she discussed with The Times in April, Bass told reporters at the 2024 Paris Olympics that she envisions expanding public transportation to a point where fans can take trains and buses to dozens of sports venues, from Crypto.com Arena downtown to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood to the beaches of Santa Monica.
“That’s a feat in Los Angeles — we’ve always been in love with our cars,” she said at a news conference Saturday, adding that people “will have to take public transportation to get to all the venues.”
The LA28 organizing committee — a private group tasked with staging the Games — prefers to say it is planning a “public transit first” Games. Some venues will have ample parking, others will not. Organizers say no one will be told they cannot drive to a competition.
The Olympics are expected to draw a crush of visitors to the region in 2028. Bass, city staff and LA28 executives have made multiple trips to France, eager to see what officials here are doing well. Or not so well.
Paris is dealing with an influx of thousands of athletes, tens of thousands of coaches and officials and an estimated 15 million people expected to pass through during the Olympics and Paralympics, which end in early September.
The French capital has relied heavily on its established, efficient Metro system. Subway cars run every few minutes with bright pink signage informing passengers where to disembark for short walks to various stadiums and arenas.
A woman rides along the Champ-Elysees before the Olympics in Paris on July 23.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Still, Parisians have complained about heavy traffic, with drives that should take 20 minutes stretching well past an hour. Security measures have required multiple road closures.
For 2028, Bass plans to meet with major employers throughout Southern California to discuss the possibility of once again staggering work hours, a strategy former Mayor Tom Bradley used to great effect almost 40 years ago.
These are different times — replete with cellphones, laptops and Wi-Fi — so Bass also wants as many people as possible to work from home, much as they did during the pandemic lockdown.
Businesses “learned from COVID that we do have essential workers, people that must come to work,” she said. “There might be some employers that we would say: ‘Could you be remote for 17 days?’ ”
Southern California cannot hope to match Paris in terms of public transport. Not with the current state of its bus and rail system. Not with a vast geographical footprint that will see Olympic events held in Long Beach and Carson, the San Fernando Valley and Temecula.
LA28 has been considering a variety of strategies to avoid traffic jams and long waits for commuters.
SoFi, hosting the opening ceremony and swimming, will allow fans to park in its expansive lots. Same with Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl, which have not been named as venues but are expected to be added soon.
Other venues such as the Riviera Country Club for golf and the Coliseum for track and field will have little to no on-site parking.
Bass said more than 3,000 buses will be brought into L.A. from across the country to help with moving fans, linking venues to temporary satellite parking.
Planners have estimated the overall cost for this could surpass $1 billion. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced last month that he has secured an initial $200 million in federal funding for the bus leasing program and more such help is expected.
Overall, LA28 has estimated that the Games will cost about $7 billion — a figure that is likely to rise during the next four years. Organizers have vowed to balance their budget through International Olympic Committee contributions, corporate sponsorships, ticket sales and other revenue sources.
Dealing with traffic in the summer of 2028 will require cooperation among cities and at every level of government, Bass said. On the day before the Olympics closing ceremony in Paris, she referenced 1984 in expressing confidence that L.A. can handle what lies ahead.
“Angelenos were terrified that we were going to have terrible, terrible traffic,” Bass said. “We were shocked that we didn’t.”
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Team USA’s final group stage match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup may not have had any implications for either team, but patriotism was in full force for the home country as Second Lady Usha Vance was among the many prominent figures at Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday night.
As the U.S. national anthem rang across the stadium, with players and fans singing in unison, the FOX Sports broadcast showed Vance in a suite with a huge smile on her face as “The Star-Spangled Banner” ended.
Vance was present at the match just two days after FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that President Donald Trump would present the World Cup trophy to the winning team at the final in New Jersey on July 19.
U.S. Second Lady Usha Vance attends the 2026 World Cup Group D match between Turkey and the United States at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 25, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
Vance was just the beginning of the stars that showed out in Inglewood, as Paris Hilton was seen presenting the match ball before kick-off. Then, cameras started to pick up the many high-profile faces throughout the crowd.
Among them were Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, a pair that many movie lovers know from their hit classic “Fight Club.” Some social media users even hoped that the discussion they were seen having was about a sequel.
TOM CRUISE, DAVID BECKHAM, KATY PERRY AND MORE CELEBRITIES SPOTTED AT 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP MATCHES
Also, movie star Ashton Kutcher was seen speaking with Los Angeles Rams standout wide receiver Puka Nacua, who knows the confines of SoFi Stadium (what it is called outside of FIFA play) very well.
Then, Colin Farrell, though Irish born, was rocking a replica Team USA jersey alongside his son in the stands to support the Stars and Stripes. Leonardo DiCaprio, Scottie Pippen and more were also seen in the seats.
U.S. Second Lady Usha Vance sings the anthem during the 2026 World Cup Group D match between Turkey and the U.S. at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 25, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
There has been a tremendous outpouring of support for the USMNT from everywhere, celebrity or not, throughout this tournament. The 4-2 win over Paraguay at the same Los Angeles stadium caused a frenzy in the stands, as the U.S. made a statement to begin the tournament on home soil for the first time since 1999.
USA WORLD CUP TEAM CLINCHES SPOT IN KNOCKOUT STAGE AFTER ANOTHER HISTORIC PERFORMANCE VS AUSTRALIA
Then, it was on to Seattle, where a 2-0 victory over Australia not only led to a spot in the knockout round, but led to a bellowing of the John Denver classic, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” from everyone in the stands. The USMNT saluted their fans after yet another successful match.
It was a much different look for the USMNT entering Thursday night’s matchup against Türkiye, with nine changes to the starting XI after the team had already secured its place in the knockout stage. The Americans will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 1.
Paris Hilton is seen with children before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Türkiye and USA at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on June 25, 2026. (Sarah Stier/FIFA)
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No matter who’s on the pitch, some of the biggest names in the country are showing support for the team that has inspired tremendous national pride to kick off this tournament.
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Shohei Ohtani was the first Dodger to be named a 2026 All-Star, after leading the majors in Phase 1 voting for the All-Star game on July 14 in Philadelphia. Six other Dodgers were finalists through the fan ballot, giving them a chance to claim starting spots in Phase 2 of voting.
Ohtani locked down the starting DH spot for the National League squad, with 3,341,257 votes. The top vote-getters in each league bypass Phase 2. Second baseman Ernie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays was the top vote-getter in the American League, with 3,232,932 votes.
Ohtani was the expected choice, despite a slow offensive start. His red-hot June boosted him up the leaderboards. He entered Thursday with the second-highest OPS in the National League (.963), barely trailing Mets outfielder Juan Soto (.965).
Pitchers aren’t chosen through the fan vote — hurlers and reserves have to wait for the player ballot (which includes votes from players, coaches and managers) and commissioners picks. But Ohtani has been just as impressive on the mound this year.
He has a 1.58 ERA, the fourth-best mark among NL pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings this season.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (2,666,008 votes), third baseman Max Muncy (2,890,181) and outfielder Andy Pages (2,158,664) also led their respective NL position groups in voting. Other Dodgers finalists, who advance to voting Phase 2, include catcher Will Smith (1,871,805), shortstop Mookie Betts (1,762,343 ) and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (1,569,932).
The vote totals reset for Phase 2, which runs from next Monday through Thursday. The remainder of the All-Star starters are set to be announced on July 4 on Fox Sports.
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The United States men’s national team opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 4-1 rout of Paraguay behind two goals from Folarin Balogun, and after taking care of Australia, the team has one match left in the group stage against Turkey on Thursday night.
The Americans took care of Australia last week 2-0 to keep their strong start rolling. The victory clinched a knockout-round berth for Team USA. The USMNT will look to carry its momentum into their match against Turkey as the Stars and Stripes return to Los Angeles Stadium.
Players of the United States celebrate their first goal, an own goal by Cameron Burgess of Australia, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, Washington, on June 19, 2026. (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
WATCH USA VS TURKEY ON FOX ONE
Australia began its World Cup run with a win over Turkey before suffering a setback against the U.S. The Australians will meet Paraguay on Thursday in a match featuring two teams already beaten by the Americans during the group stage.
Late last month, the Americans defeated Senegal, 3-2, in a World Cup tuneup match.
Under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT entered the tournament as the No. 17 team in the FIFA World Rankings. FIFA determines its world rankings using the Elo rating system, which rewards teams for wins and penalizes them for losses while also factoring in the strength of the competition.
Alex Freeman of the United States celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between the U.S. and Australia at Seattle Stadium on June 19, 2026. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE
This year’s World Cup features an expanded field of 48 teams.
Here’s how to watch the game, including start time, TV information and streaming options.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw on Dec. 3, 2025. (Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
How to Watch United States vs Turkey
When: Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California.
TV: FOX
Stream: Watch on FOX One and FOX Sports.
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